He cannot sign for any club north of the river as I hear he gets dizzy spells when passing water!

I think it was a about protecting the asset. Hopefully the one year extension was on lower wages then covered by a loan fee and potentially a transfer fee. Without the extension he walks ( if he can walk) as a free transfer and we get nothing. I doubt the chairman thought he would turn into a 20 goal a season striker but hoped to recoup some money by extending the contract. Same goes for Benteke and similar for Jach where we have received multiple loan fees to help cover a bad transfer fee.

Edited by GJDCPFC (11 Jan 2021 3.34am)

it's doubtful loan fees even cover their full salaries as Prem wages are out of reach for most European leagues and of course the Championship.

Wickham, Sakho, Meyer etc need to go ASAP. Big salaries and nowhere near first team.

SP is paid over £2m a year. He needs to make hard decisions rather than be mates with the players. Extending Wickham's contract was inexcusable.

I certainly wouldn't hold it against the player that he's been injured so much, and calling him 'sick note' is a bit rough. I'm sure Wickham himself is more gutted about his injury record than anyone, and must be painfully aware that his career could well be over at 27.

As to why the club extended his contract, perhaps they thought that having spent so much money on his fee, and especially on his wages whilst he was undertaking rehab etc, it made sense to give him one more year just in case the worst was behind him and he might become an asset again. It is plain now that we threw good money after bad, but it was less obvious at the time as he had got back in the side and scored a couple of goals.

Loan on terms we retain and pay full salary and medical bills till they decide hes fit and thereafter they play and pay part salary but we have to take back if ie when he re-injures.

This only works if the host team has a squad space.

Who in their right mind would turn down between 1 and 3 million pounds whilst pretending to be a footballer. If SP keeps chucking huge wads of cash at him he'll be here till SP see sense.